35 Recipes Straight From Farmers’ Wives
Updated: Apr. 30, 2024
Get the down-home flavor of a rustic recipe with these dishes we received from farmers' wives.
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Winnie’s Mini Rhubarb & Strawberry Pies
Every spring, we had strawberries and rhubarb on our farm outside Seattle. These fruity hand pies remind me of those times and of Grandma Winnie’s baking. —Shawn Carleton, San Diego, California
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Meatball Pie
I grew up on a farm, so I took part in 4-H Club cooking activities. I still love to prepare and serve classic, wholesome recipes such as this meat and veggie pie. —Susan Keith, Fort Plain, New York
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Zucchini in Dill Cream Sauce
My husband and I were dairy farmers until we retired, so I always use fresh, real dairy products in my recipes. This creamy sauce combines all our favorite foods! —Josephine Vanden Heuvel, Hart, Michigan
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Church Supper Spaghetti
Because this recipe feeds so many, I often take it to church dinners and potlucks. This colorful dish also comes in handy when we have lots of help to feed on our farm. —Verlyn Wilson, Wilkinson, Indiana
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Cider Doughnuts
Here on our 1,250-acre farm, we usually have a quick breakfast on the go. So I often keep a batch of these light and moist doughnuts on hand. They disappear quickly because no one can eat just one! —Suzanne Christensen, Defiance, Iowa
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How to Make the Best-Ever Fried Chicken
The best fried chicken recipe is super crunchy on the outside but oh-so juicy and tender on the inside. Surprisingly enough, we make it without buttermilk!
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Salmon Patties
Salmon patties are quick and easy! Prepare this versatile recipe the night before for a simple lunch, or turn it into a vibrant appetizer platter, and serve with a creamy dipping sauce.
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Strawberry Shortcake
Our strawberry shortcake is a classic recipe that can be ready by lunchtime. Use those farmers market strawberries for something special.
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Chili Skillet
Like most farmers, my husband loves a good hearty chili. With all the vegetables, cheese and meat in it, this dish makes a super supper—and it comes together in one skillet on top of the stove. I serve it frequently in fall and winter. —Katherine Brown, Fredericktown, Ohio
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Pork Chops and Scalloped Potatoes
This hearty and filling casserole of pork chops and scalloped potatoes with onions is a whole meal in one dish.
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Irresistible Coconut Cream Pie
My husband and I grow 500 acres of wheat on the farm his family homesteaded in 1889. I grind my own flour and love to use it in this recipe. The easy, pat-in crust has a rich grain flavor. It’s irresistible filled with old-fashioned coconut cream and topped with a fluffy meringue. —Roberta Foster, Kingfisher, Oklahoma
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Beef Cabbage Soup
This beef cabbage soup tastes a bit like stuffed cabbage, but with far less effort. The soup features ground beef, cabbage and tomatoes for a delicious meal that comes together quite easily, no special skills required.
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Bake-Sale Lemon Bars
The recipe for these tangy lemon bars comes from my cousin, who is famous for cooking up farm feasts. —Mildred Keller, Rockford, Illinois
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Honey Garlic Meatballs
Make these delicious honey garlic meatballs the next time you're craving something sweet, tangy and savory. Perfect when paired with a crisp salad and your favorite rice recipe, and equally delightful when served as an appetizer.
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Contest-Winning Chocolate Potato Cake
I won grand champion honors in a potato festival baking contest with this moist chocolate cake. The icing recipe can be doubled if you have a real sweet tooth. —Catherine Hahn, Winamac, Indiana
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Apple Salsa with Cinnamon Chips
Both my husband and I were raised on farms, and we prefer home cooking to eating out. That works out fine since I love trying new recipes! I've served this apple salsa as an appetizer and a snack. Plus, it's sweet enough to be a dessert. It's easy to transport besides. —Carolyn Brinkmeyer, Golden, Colorado
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Deep-Dish Sausage Pizza
My grandma made the tastiest snacks for us when we stayed the night at her farm. Her wonderful pizza, hot from the oven, was covered with cheese and had fragrant herbs in the crust. Now this pizza is frequently a meal for my husband, our family and me. —Michele Madden, Washington Court House, Ohio
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Four-Cheese Chicken Fettuccine
As a cattle rancher, my husband's a big fan of beef. For him to comment on a poultry dish is rare. But he always tells me, "I love this casserole!" I first tasted it at a potluck; now, I fix it for my family (we have a 3-year-old daughter) once or twice a month, and I'm asked to take it to most every get-together. —Rochelle Brownlee, Big Timber, Montana
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Oven Barbecued Chicken
Chicken and Sunday dinner belong together. During my married life on a dairy farm, I'd make this baked bbq chicken before church. — Esther Shank, Harrisonburg, Virginia
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Nutty Cheesecake Squares
I grew up on a farm and have had a lot of good recipes handed down to me. This is one of my favorite desserts to serve when guests come over or at family gatherings and church suppers. —Ruth Simon, Buffalo, New York
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Potatoes Plus
On our busy farm, meals need to be ready fast. These herb-seasoned potatoes and vegetables wrapped in foil packets cook in only half an hour. They're excellent with steak or chicken. —Jill Jellett, Leduc, Alberta
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Rhubarb Crumble
Our rhubarb crumble is filled with a unique combination of bright pink rhubarb stalks, fresh strawberries and apples.
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Ranch Potato Casserole
We operate a busy fruit farm. I cook every day for my family, so I appreciate this dish for another reason—I can put it together a day ahead and bake it just before we're ready to eat. —Lydia Schnitzler, Kingsburg, California
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Grandma's Sour Cream Raisin Pie
The aroma of this pie baking in my farm kitchen oven reminds me of my dear grandma, who made this pretty pie for special occasions. —Beverly Medalen, Willow City, North Dakota
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Oysters Rockefeller
This old-school oysters Rockefeller recipe is decadent and dressed-up, yet easy to make at home. That just might be why it's been around for over 130 years.
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Rhubarb Citrus Punch
Rhubarb grows abundantly in our large farm garden. I'll make this punch for summertime gatherings or for special occasions with our extended family. —Ina Frey, St. Clemens, Ontario
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Frosted Banana Bars
These bars are always a hit at potlucks in the small rural farming community where my husband and I live. I also like to provide them for coffee hour after church. They're so moist and delicious that wherever I take them, they don't last long. —Karen Dryak, Niobrara, Nebraska
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Cheddar & Spinach Twice-Baked Potatoes
My husband is a rancher who loves a hearty potato dish, so consider these spuds with cheddar and spinach cowboy approved! My crowd never leaves leftovers. —Jody Augustyn, Loup City, NE
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Cashew Cookies
Some merry dairy snacking is guaranteed when you pass out these cashew-packed goodies! I found the recipe years ago in a flier promoting dairy products. It's been this farm wife's standby ever since. —June Lindquist, Hammond, Wisconsin
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Roast Pork and Potatoes
Meet the Cook: We used to raise our own hogs. This recipe was given me by a fellow farmer who also had pork on the dinner table a couple of times a week. I'm a dietitian at the local VA hospital. Cooking, of course, is one of my top pastimes! My husband and I have four children and one grandson. -Denise Collins, Chillicothe, Ohio
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Ruby Grape Pie
My wife, Paula, and I produce red and green seedless table grapes on our 75-acre vineyard. Our crop is wonderful eaten out-of-hand or in salads. Paula also uses them in this unusual and tasty pie.—Salvage Island Farm, Fred Smeds, Reedley, California
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No-Knead Knot Rolls
My mom, Velma Perkins, loved to serve these light, golden rolls when I was growing up on our Iowa farm. They're extra nice since they require no kneading. The dough rises in the refrigerator overnight, so there's little last-minute fuss to serve fresh hot rolls with any meal. —Toni Hilscher, Omaha, Nebraska
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Cream Cheese-Pineapple Pie
I've made this pie many times for friends, relatives, guests, church suppers and bazaars, and I'm always getting requests for the recipe. I've lived on farms all my life—we used to have a potato farm on Long Island, and now my son farms his own land and manages mine here in Delaware, growing soybeans and wheat. —Elizabeth Brown, Clayton, Delaware
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Pepper Steak
We live on the eastern edge of the Sand Hills here in Nebraska, where most folks are ranchers. This popular pepper steak recipe is tasty as well as colorful. —Carolyn Butterfield, Atkinson, Nebraska
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